The drinks of alcohol in the Ortaköy
2nd floor rooms with wooden construction and smoke
billowing from mouths sips of the religious screams
invigorate the apostate that lives in us all
spleens that they chew and stories of the siege of Romans
where the walls met we would engage in games of chance
naked and welcoming the sun for the Christ or for Allah or the gold tenders
from the north ice in memories and steel in heart we square the intent
Emperors’ price the movement of souls in exchange for power
and the soft Dutch beer in pitchers
laughing at the bridge between continents and dark women with dark eyes